As news broke that US basketball star Brittney Griner had been released from a Russian prison in exchange for Viktor Bout — a former arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death" — US officials didn't mince words.
"This was not a choice of which American to bring home. The choice was one or none," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters.
He was referring to a decision to omit Paul Whelan, 52, a former US marine turned corporate security executive, who is currently serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on espionage charges (which he denies).
